A Year to Remember
by alicenotinwonderland
Summary: When Minerva McGonagall is given the opportunity to return to Hogwarts as a teacher, she has no idea how eventful her life can be. Join her for one year in her life. This is a story about Minerva as she deals with heartbreak, teaching, friendships and maybe some new romance - all in twelve months.


**This is a story about one year in Minerva McGonagall's life. It starts right after she joins Hogwarts as a teacher. I hope you like it, feedback is always appreciated!**

**Warning : This story contains Pottermore spoilers.**

**Disclaimer : I don't own Harry Potter**

* * *

"I'm glad that's over! These Muggles are slower than Flobberworms. How they manage to get through life, I'll never know."

Minerva pursed her lips at her colleague, Ernest Hyde's words. "They aren't as stupid as you make them out to be, Hyde. They seem quite ingenious to me given that they have so many marvelous ways of living efficiently without magic," she said.

"Of course you would say that. You _are_ our champion of Muggles. If you hadn't waited for all of them to get out of the way before we cast our spells, this job would have taken much lesser time," snapped Hyde.

"You did a great job today, Minerva." Elphinstone Urquart's voice silenced any retort from Minerva. Hyde scowled at their boss but turned away. "Well done, you handled the situation very well indeed."

Minerva inclined her head in thanks and went to her own cubicle, ignoring the smirks and glares of not only Hyde, but many of her other colleagues as well. She hated this job. She hated having to listen to her stupid, biased coworkers. What did they know of Muggles other than what they had been taught by their equally biased parents? They had never lived with Muggles. They didn't know how kind or caring or wonderful they could be! Yet they insisted on passing comments about them when they barely knew anything about them at all! Even in two years of working at the Ministry with them, she still hadn't learnt to be tolerant of her colleagues' words.

She sighed and stared out of her window. The blue sky outside was just a façade of course. She knew that the sky was grey and gloomy outside. It almost always was in London, even though it was summer (or so it seemed to her). There was always a constant rumbling from the cars that passed over the Ministry (although it was sometimes drained out by the idiotic jokes about Muggles her colleagues were so fond of). She looked at the paperwork on her desk and sighed again. Working for the Ministry wasn't so bad and it paid well, but she found it dull after life in her little Scottish village.

"Minerva?" Elizabeth Norton poked her head into the cubicle. Elizabeth was one of the few friends Minerva had made at the Ministry. She was Muggle-born and hence, shared Minerva's sentiments about their biased colleagues. "Mr. Urquart wants to see you."

"Did he say what for?" Minerva asked.

"No but I would think you'd take any excuse to get out of doing your paperwork for a while," said Elizabeth, smiling slightly.

"You know me too well Lizzie." Minerva smiled back as she made her way through the department to her boss' office. She liked Elphinstone. He reminded her of her father sometimes but there was a comradeship they shared that was somehow special. They met often after work and these little platonic meetings brightened her days in London considerably.

"You asked to see me?" she said politely, knocking on his open door.

"Minerva, yes, do come in." He smiled at her as she sat down. "You really did do a good job today. I think you enjoyed being able to get out and actually enforce some law after so long."

She shrugged. "It has been rather monotonous working from a desk for four months. I understand that most of our work is to be done on paper, but sometimes acting like Muggle policemen does relieve the boredom."

"You like action. That's evident enough from your Hogwarts reports and my own observations. That is why I've called you here." He pushed an envelope across the table.

Minerva read the letter, her eyes widening as they travelled down the paper. "You're promoting me?" she asked, surprised.

"You have been one of our best trainees. I think if you were to assist me or some of the other senior officers personally, you would gain the experience required to join any division of the department. The Hit wizards or the Investigation Department might suit you quite well."

"But sir, many of my colleagues are in senior positions and probably more eligible for this promotion," protested Minerva.

"None of them have the skills or initiative I've seen in you. Why don't you take a couple of days to consider? I would love to have you on board my personal team, but it is entirely your choice," said Elphinstone.

Minerva nodded and left, slightly dazed at the sudden news. She did not peruse the letter again until she was safely ensconced in the little apartment she shared with Elizabeth. Lizzie wanted to work late so she was alone. She reread the promotion letter. It seemed too good to be true!

Minerva had always been ambitious. She had got top grades in all her OWLs and NEWTs. She had been proficient at Transfiguration especially. She was an Animagus. She never liked losing Quiidtich matches because of that ambitious streak. She had joined the biggest department in the Ministry and had worked hard and now it was all paying off. She was being promoted! She could become a fully qualified lawyer soon. She could just see herself in a lawyer's robes, defending the innocent and jailing the guilty. Or she could join the Investigation Department. Her keen eyes and intuition would ensure that not a shred of evidence would be left behind. She would rise in the Ministry, she'd be famous as the most efficient, most gifted employee to have ever been in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. No more cramped cubicles and boxes of paperwork for her. This promotion would get her really started on her Ministry career. Her parents would be so proud! Malcolm and Robert would be so delighted.

Minerva put down the letter, a slightly sad look in her eyes. She missed her family. She hadn't seen them in ages. If she accepted this promotion, she would not be able to see them even as rarely as she did these days. She would have too much work and London was quite far from where they lived. Even with Floo Powder and Apparition, she would not see them frequently.

She looked out the window. It was the height of summer and yet, the sky seemed cloudy because of the smog. The automobiles were loud and the people noisy. The streets were crowded. She didn't know who her neighbours were. It was so unlike her village where summer days were sunny, children played happily on the streets and the only smoke smelt like wood or freshly baked bread as it wafted out of the cosy cottages. She missed the green hills and the imposing mountains (just beyond which, Hogwarts was situated) in the distance. She missed the creek that flowed just behind her house, so clean and fresh. The only thing behind her apartment was a drain, the stench of which was eye-watering.

She was ambitious, yes, but that ambition had a cost. She was not doing work she loved. She was not around people she loved. Yes, Lizzie was fun. Yes, she enjoyed Elphinstone's company. But she missed the fun, honest ways of her family and old friends. Was she ready to take that promotion and confine herself to a life of offices and high heels as she set about trying to change the world or was there any other way for her to see her dream of creating a better world come true?

Her eyes fell on a letter from her friend, Pomona Sprout. Pomona was a year younger than her but they had been good friends at Hogwarts. She picked up the letter that had arrived a few days ago. Pomona had written all about the great time she was having on her world tour and all the different plants she'd seen. But Minerva remembered reading something else in that letter too.

_You know I've always loved Herbology. I will be twenty this year and quite old enough to ask Professor Dippet for a job at Hogwarts. I can't think of anything else I'd rather do with my knowledge of plants than to teach it to the younger students. I'm sure old Professor Herbert will be glad to have a young assistant who can handle the Venomous Tentacula. I'm coming home on the 10__th__ and I'll apply for a teaching post as soon as I can. Do you think we can meet up sometime?_

Minerva realized that Pomona had the right idea. She didn't want to have a desk job and wait for years to get to the right position. No, she was determined and the way to change the world was by changing how the minds of the younger generations worked. A job at Hogwarts would be perfect! She would be close enough to go home on the weekends, she would be around friends and she would be teaching the subject she loved the most.

She would probably miss Elphinstone and Lizzie but she could always visit them. This was, Minerva thought, the perfect answer to her dilemma. She found a piece of parchment and wrote out her resignation and an application for the post of Transfiguration teacher and sent them both out immediately. She had a good feeling about this.

* * *

"Well?" Elphinstone raised an eyebrow at Minerva as he looked up from her resignation letter.

"I think I would do better at Hogwarts. I was extremely honoured that you thought I should be promoted but I think Hogwarts is where I should be," replied Minerva.

Elphinstone regarded her for a few minutes. Minerva began to feel a little uncomfortable but then he smiled at her. "Then I wish you the very best. Have you received an acceptance letter?"

"Yes, it came this morning. I'm to join the Transfiguration department as an assistant professor to Professor Dumbledore. I think I'll be teaching the first three years."

"Good. Albus can teach _you_ a lot too." He gave her a rather wistful smile. "I'll miss having you here."

She looked a little surprised. "I'll miss working with you too. And I'll miss our little conversations over tea as well."

Elphinstone grinned at her. "Well as I'm no longer your boss, I can take you out to tea or lunch or dinner whenever I want. Don't be surprised if I drop in at Hogwarts sometime."

Minerva smiled back uncertainly, unsure of whether he was joking or not. So far, everything was perfect. She just had to go home and tell her family the good news.

* * *

"You're going to be doing WHAT?"

"It's not going to be that bad, Robbie," said Minerva.

"My elder sister's going to be teaching me Transfiguration at school. How is that not bad?" demanded Robert. Minerva had completely forgotten that her youngest brother was still in school when she had applied.

"I won't be teaching you, I'm only in charge of the first three years. Professor Dumbledore will be teaching you as usual," she said, grinning. The family was quite enjoying Robert's reaction.

"Yes but you'll be _there_. Here I was, looking forward to my last year at school with no siblings to keep an eye on me and you get a job there. This is a disaster! You can write home about me. You can dock points! You can give me detention!"

Malcolm chuckled as Robert put his head in his hands and groaned. "Ah come on, Robbie. You enjoyed a year of freedom last year too. And Minnie was already doing all that stuff when she was Head Girl."

Minerva glared at her younger brother. "I did not! In fact, I helped you with most of the mischief you two got into."

"How much of this mischief have we heard about?" Isobel McGonagall raised an eyebrow at her children while her husband, Robert, grinned behind her.

"Quite enough," muttered Malcolm as all three siblings avoided their mother's eye. "Don't worry Robbie, Minnie'll be a sport."

"But I have to call her Professor McGonagall and she'll be watching me with those beady eyes from the staff table," said Robbie, looking agonized.

_Professor McGonagall_. How strange that sounded to Minerva. But it filled her with pride and only reinforced the belief that she was doing the right thing. She looked out the window as her brothers squabbled and her father tried to convince Robbie it wasn't the end of the world. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat as she recognized the broad shoulders and fair hair of Dougal McGregor as he walked past the house and she drew back immediately, hiding herself till he was gone.

It had been two years since that fiasco of a relationship and she still hadn't recovered from it. She was still in love with him but she _knew_ a marriage wouldn't work. Especially not now, with her leaving for Hogwarts. What would she do with all her ambition if she married him? She knew her decision to break it off made logical sense but it didn't dull the ache in her heart whenever she thought of him. It was probably for the best that she was going to be far away from him and well occupied at Hogwarts.

* * *

She met Albus Dumbledore and the other staff, including Pomona who had been signed on as assistant Herbology teacher, in the last week of August. They had all been delighted to see her back and she had been greeted with much enthusiasm. All the teachers had been very fond of her while she had been at school and that affection had not diminished. Albus especially was glad to have her back.

Minerva loved being back equally. She was finally among people who would be her friends and mentors and not just colleagues. She could talk to them about a vast variety of things and not once would she hear anti-Muggle talk. This was where she belonged.

September 1st came soon enough and for the first time, Minerva took her place at the corner of the teachers' table. She smiled slightly as she saw Robbie pointedly trying to avoid her eye. She grinned as Pomona winked at Robbie and he looked away immediately, mortified. Pomona was probably the only reason Robbie had even passed his Herbology OWL and she was as much a sister to Robbie as Minerva herself was. She took in the sight of the Great Hall, the Sorting Hat and the scared-looking first years she would have to teach the following morning. For the first time, she was looking forward to work.

When the feast was over and Minerva found herself alone in her office, she smiled widely. She did a little twirl, very unlike herself. She felt as excited as she had been on the first day of school ten years ago. She was beginning on the journey of life properly. She headed for the bed, eager to get a good night's rest. She pushed a little box further under her bed. It contained letters from Dougal. She knew Pomona would be angry with her for not letting him go. She would want her to burn those letters, not keep them under her bed.

But as Minerva fell asleep, she couldn't help thinking that if she had married Dougal, it would have been her wand that she would have had to hide in a box under her bed. It was because she had chosen not to, that she could still fulfill her ambitions.

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**Please do review and tell me what you thought!**

**This is my entry for the "A year in the life competition" by HedwigBlack on HPFC. My prompt for the month August, was ambition.**


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